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Development and Initial Validation of the Multidimensional Quality of Relationship Scale (M-QoRS)
Get PDFThis study presents the initial validation of the Multidimensional Quality of Relationship Scale (M-QoRS), which was designed to capture the dynamic nature of both unidimensional and multidimensional intimate relationship quality. Confirmatory Factor Analyses of online survey data from 745 people tested a series of models, ultimately revealing a bi-factor solution as the best fitting structure. This final model includes a Relationship quality general factor and four domain-specific latent variables, namely Quality of communication, Conflict management, Feeling connected, and Overall happiness with one’s relationship, all explaining variability in 17 manifest variables. An originally included Sex and Intimacy factor was dropped as a result of model respecifications. The M-QoRS also shows optimal reliability as well as criterion, construct, and known-groups validity. Cross-validation tests also confirm that this structure could be replicated in other samples. Being designed within the context of mobile health (mHealth) apps and digital wellbeing promotion, the scale can be a useful instrument for evaluating online relationships programs and interventions.</p
Accessible Waters Research Website:Inclusive Research, Methods, and Public Engagement in Blue Space Accessibility
No full textAccessible Waters is a public-facing research platform curated by Sadie Rockliffe. The site shares updates, blogs, research methods, and media features related to inclusive access to blue spaces for blind and partially sighted communities. It supports knowledge exchange and public engagement through reflective writing, documentation of co-produced events, and accessible summaries of research processes. The platform contributes to ongoing conversations in critical disability studies, therapeutic geographies, and sensory methodologies, positioning accessibility as a dynamic, relational, and justice-oriented practice
RNIB Podcast Interview - Open Water Swimming Can Be Accessible for Blind and Partially Sighted People:Public engagement and inclusive aquatic research with visually impaired communities
No full textIn this episode of RNIB Connect Radio, Sadie Rockliffe discusses her research on blue space accessibility and inclusive swim practices for people with visual impairments. The conversation highlights the design and delivery of sensory-led, participatory swim sessions that challenge conventional notions of access and independence. Sadie reflects on her collaborative work with blind and partially sighted swimmers, the value of embodied engagement with water, and how inclusive research practices can transform understandings of access, space, and relational inclusion.RNIB Connect says:"A collaborative project between the University of Brighton and Sight Support Worthing is looking at ways of making outdoor swimming an accessible option for blind and partially sighted people.RNIB Connect Radio’s Allan Russell spoke to Sadie Rockliffe, from Brighton University, to learn more about the research and their successful pilot event.If you’d like more info on the research, or swimming opportunities, go to www.accessiblewaters.co.uk
Examining Environmental, Social, and Governance Practices in Nigeria
Get PDFThis article examines the evolution and development of environmental, social and governance (ESG) in Nigeria. In Nigeria, there is no unitary legal framework that articulates all ESG obligations that companies are required to comply with, and this is not unusual given the breadth of the ESG pillars. However, the article outlines the multilayered regulation and the multistakeholder approaches within the emerging framework. It highlights that the private sector has been identified as a significant driver of ESG but also suggests that some improvements in ESG reporting frameworks and more robust legal frameworks to discourage greenwashing would enhance ESG practice. It suggests that Nigeria must shift from isolated successes to a systemic framework to fully realize the potential of ESG practice
Does backpack load carriage weight affect susceptibility to acute mountain sickness during intermittent walking in hypoxia?
Get PDFIntroduction: The growth of global adventure tourism has led to millions of travellers visiting areas of high-altitude for recreational trekking, charity fundraising challenges and/or cultural immersion over several days to weeks annually. These activities necessitate carrying backpacks that contain hiking provisions of additional weight without understanding how increased load carriage may affect physiological responses at altitude, nor whether they may increase the risk of experiencing symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) - a common altitude illness typically observed above 2500m. There is limited understanding whether existing backpack load recommendations used at sea-level (maximum load equating to 1/3 of body weight) apply at altitude, or whether increasing loads exacerbate symptoms of AMS. The purpose of the study was to therefore assess backpack weight of 10%, 20% and 30% of body weight on physiological and perceptual strain and symptoms of AMS, during a simulated hillwalking test in hypoxia.Methods: Thirteen physically active males and females (23±1 years) completed three intermittent walking tests (including: 35-mins rest, 60-min walk [3x20-min intervals with 5-min rest] at 4km.hr-1 at 10% gradient, followed by 15-mins recovery) within normobaric hypoxia (FIO2: 0.13). These were conducted within a randomised order whilst carrying a backpack loaded with additional weight that was either 10%, 20% or 30% relative to the participants’ body mass. Physiological, perceptual and Lake Louise Questionnaire (LLQ) scores were assessed throughout.Results: Heart rate and ventilation were higher (both p<0.05) during the 30% backpack test compared to 10% (+13±11 b.min-1 and +9.4±7.6 L.min-1), but no differences were found between 10% and 20%. LLQ scores were higher (p<0.05) during the 30% backpack test compared to the 10% (+2±1 A.U.) and 20% (+1±1 A.U.), but no differences (p>0.05) were found between 10% and 20%. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE: 6-20 Borg [1982]) were higher (all p<0.05) during the 20% and 30% trials compared to 10% (+2±2 and +4±2 A.U.), and also during the 30% compared to 20% trial (+2±2 A.U.). No differences in pulse oxygen (O2) saturation, nor volume of O2 uptake (all p>0.05) were found between tests. Conclusion: Carrying additional backpack weight increases markers of physiological and perceptual strain and may augment AMS symptoms. Altitude travellers without prior experience of hiking and who are carrying a backpack for an extended period of time should understand these responses and potential risks to health, as well as educate themselves on safe altitude knowledge/travel and contributing risk factors. <br/
Teaching Spaces, Creative Sanctuaries: What I’ve Learned from 10 Years of Teaching
No full textWhat does it mean to truly create space for creativity, for belonging, for transformation?In this tender and powerful reflection on a decade of teaching, leading, and creating, Dr. Zakkiya Khan invites us into the heart of her educational journey, one shaped by courage, care, and creativity. Teaching Spaces: Creative Sanctuaries is not a manual. It’s a meditation. A love letter to the moments that define us as teachers, students, and makers of change.Across six luminous chapters: Learning, Teaching, Growing, Leading, Creating, and Becoming, Khan weaves personal storytelling, educational philosophy, and lived experience into a rich tapestry. The result is both a grounding manifesto and a call to imagine what education can become when it centres humanity over hierarchy, joy over judgment, and fire over fear.Whether you're an educator, a creative professional, a student, or someone searching for purpose in your own work, this book will speak to the part of you that knows: there is another way. A slower, wiser, more soul-connected way to teach, lead, and live
Bridging Islamic Ethics and Circular Economy:Towards a Halal Circular Economy Framework
No full textThe global halal industry—spanning food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and logistics—is projected to exceed USD 3 trillion by 2025, offering significant economic opportunities while also raising urgent environmental concerns. This study investigates how circular economy (CE) principles are being integrated into halal business practices, situating this inquiry within the ethical and theological foundations of Islamic business ethics. By examining both the religious underpinnings and real-world implementation of sustainability in halal-certified operations, the study proposes a Halal Circular Economy Framework (HCEF) that aligns Shariah principles with contemporary environmental priorities.Focusing on the UK—a non-Muslim majority country with a halal market worth over £3 billion annually—the research explores how Muslim entrepreneurs and businesses navigate the interface between Islamic ethics, halal certification standards, and national sustainability policies. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study critically examines CE adoption across halal food producers, certification bodies, and retailers, drawing out implications for faith-aligned business strategy and public policy. The ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between Islamic ethical imperatives and modern environmental management, offering both theoretical and actionable contributions to the fields of Islamic finance, sustainability studies, and circular economy policy
Understanding fears about artificial intelligence:A psychodynamic perspective
No full textResearch on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often met with optimistic expectations about its transformative societal impact. Yet, such anticipation is intertwined with growing ethical concerns, particularly regarding the nature of technological power and the centralization of information. As AI systems increasingly mirror human behaviour and decision-making, unease has grown about their subtle influence and potential to shape users’ experiences in ways that remain poorly recognized. This study explores these fears through a psychological lens, drawing on Carl Jung’s theory of the Shadow to examine the darker aspects of public sentiment toward AI. Jung’s concept helps illuminate how fears arise not only from AI’s technical sophistication but also from its perceived potential to act as a tool of control, thereby challenging autonomy and moral agency. The paper argues that AI’s ability to model, predict, and influence behaviour repositions it as an active mediator in human decision-making. While promising efficiency and insight, such systems also foster dependence on centrally produced knowledge. The resulting fears are not limited to practical concerns over access but extend to deeper anxieties about what may be ethically compromised—or lost—through reliance on opaque, evolving technologies. Autonomy, control, and vulnerability emerge as key themes in understanding the psychological landscape of AI fear
